Self-fastening button



)t.2o,1936.`` A. E JAFFE 2,058,020

. I SELF FAVSTENING BUTTON\ Filed May 17, 1935 v lNvNToR patented ct. '20, 1936^` UNITED sTIATEs enrrgNfrl oFFlcE 2,058,020i SELF-FASTENING BUTTON: l

Elias Jaffe', New York, NYY, Application ,May n17, 1935,-11-SerialAA Nol-22,024` 4 s claims. 01; ail-90)V I :This invention relates -to improvements inselffastening Abuttons.fo'ngarments and the like, frequentlyfreferre'd toas bachelorbuttons because adaptedtoibe securedto the garment Without the 5g useiof threadfasfcommonly done-with-Asewn on buttons.

This invention has for ageneral object to provide" a button having vafbody shell provided in its base-,with openings Vbordered* by opposed inwardly I pressedfconvergent-clutch or gripping lips with whichare .engageableby a novel form of penetratingclutch prongs carried by an-anchor piece, after said-prongsare pushed through the material to which the-button is desired to be attached, and

1?J thence into thebutton -body shell with the anchor piece engaged against the back or inner face of said material. f

The .invention-.has for a more speciiic object to provide the openings of the Abutton-shell basewhichareborderedby saidgrippi-ng lips inthe form of` arcuate -slots,whereby the same maybe easily located relative to the anchor-piece prongs, so as to make it easy and quick to assemble the buttonfelements together in attachedrelation to 254 thematerial.

`The-invention hasy for a furtherspecic object tot-provideathe anchor piece prongs of angular cross-sectional shape and with a plurality oi sere' rations both-along'the apex of its angular faces aswell as alongthe4 free margins thereof, whereby the prongs,-when-inserted through the gripping lipvbordered openingsljofthe body shell base, arermly grippedby the opposed lips, and whereby suchfigripping is-eiiective-regardless` of the extent of=1nate`rial throughwhich the prongs may iirst ble-massed!VA rI'his-riovel construction f of `clutch prongs-assuring-a strong and uniform non-slip- 40 pingor non -rotating'connection betweenthe but? ton bodyand anchor piece at a plurality of points,

sol that the butto-n will'retain` its position upon `the materialwithout` the least risk of accidental looseningeor Idisplacement.

45 -Otherobjects of this invention, not at this time-more'particularly enumerated, will be under-v "Figs-1 is3a vertical sectional view ofthe button according to'gthis" invention as operatively attacked to'material to'be vsecured thereto; Fig.'2 is kl viewj of "the attached button assembly;

' off penetration/ofthe prongs into the body shell aslgoverned according to the particular thickness I inIFi'g.-l,but drawnlonan enlarged scale; Fig; 4 is"a-bottomview ofthe-button body'per se, also drawn-onan-enlarged scale; Figy isa side elevationkonra-considerablyfenlarged scale; of the anchorpiece andthe knovel clutch prong formation thereof, and-Fig.-6 isa `vertical sectional view of the same.

Fig-N7- isa-bottom view lof Va modied form of the button'body-per -seand Fig. 8 shows another form I-ofs serratedI pronged" anchor piece usable with said'modiiiedformfof button body;

Similar-characters iofl `reference are employed'A in theAv hereinabove describedU views, to indicate corresponding parts.` y

Referring to the-drawing, the body of the buttonis preferably formed of "a sheet metal stamp-- ing 'providing `a Ihol-lowupwardly open body shell I0 rhaving an outwardlylared rmarginal rim portionll and -a central base portion I2 of reduced diameter; YApplied over the upper open4 sideV of said-"bodygshell I0 fisvany* suitable form of button top I3 havingits marginal portions beaded over the shellfrirn-^p0rtion`I I, as at I4." Provided in the'=bottom'-wall I5 of the base portion vI2 of the button body shell are a series of arcuate slot-like" openingsv I6 arrangedin an annular row concentric to'fthe'verticalaxis 'of 'the button body shell; the-same" being separated by intervening necks I1 formingpartsof` the Vbase` portion bottom wallY I5.' The marginal portions 'bordering the opposite sides offsaid` Y'slot-like openings 16 'are inwardly and-upwardly 'pressed into the interior of the body shellto form opposedv upwardly inclined convergent `clutch or gripping lips I8v along the opposed sides'of said slot-like openings I6. Thel convergent clutchor gripping-lips I8,"by reason of their inwardly pressed and inclined relation tof theplane of the bottom wall I5,"A form, on the exteriorunderside` AVoi "thelatter, inverted V+ shaped guide troughs, the advantage' 'of which will befpresentlyireferred to.

The anchor piece of the`.button device comprises an `anchor plate 19,"which m'ay be of any suitable form,'1butwhichis .preferably iin the formv of a perforate washer like body or annulus, having an upturned' inner marginal flange"20 and a. like upturned outer marginal flange 2 I', thereby not only stiffe'ning the bo-dyor Vannulus against distortion, but, `when applied to the' back of the material to which Vthe buttonis tobe secured, permitting the flangeedges to sink `or bite into the material so as toi assure a rm grip thereon well calculated to resistdisplacementor vtearing or pulling through theimaterial of theV anchor piece as a whole,`when the 'applied buttonis subjected' to pulling strains lips I8.

or stresses in use. Integral with the outer margins of the anchor plate I9 are a plurality of upstanding clutch prongs. Ihese clutch prongs taper to sharp piercing points 22 at their free ends, and the same are of angular or hollow ribbed shape in cross-section, preferably comprising laterally angular sides 23 and 24 converging on an outwardly presented longitudinal central apex or rib 24. Along the apex or rib 25 are outwardly pressed a series of longitudinally spaced downwardly and outwardly inclined teeth or stop projections 26. In like manner, along the free margins of the sides 23 and 24 are formed a series of longitudinally spaced similar downwardly and outwardly inclined teeth or stop projections 21.

To mount the button on the material 28, to which it is desired to be secured, the anchor plate I9 is applied at the rear face of said material, and the clutch prongs thereof are thrust outwardly and thus pierced through the latter. The body of the button is now opposed to the outwardly projecting clutch prongs of the thus applied anchor plate I9, and the piercing points 22 of the latter are easily and quickly registered with the slot-like openings I6 in the bottom wall I5 of the button base portion I2, the inverted V-shaped guide troughs serving to quickly and easily guide the clutch prongs into registration with said openings I6 for entrance therethrough This guiding effect in addition to the length of the openings I6, greatly facilitates the operation of entering the clutch prongs into operative relation to the button body, and eliminates necessity for feeling out the location of the receiving openings through which it is required to pass the clutch prongs. Once the free ends of the clutch prongs are entered in the openings I6, the operator merely presses the button body firmly down upon the clutch prongs, whereby the latter are moved into the button body interior and between opposed clutch or gripping Owing to the tapering of the clutchprongs, the clutch or gripping lips I8 will be spread or sprung apart by the in-wedging action of the clutch prongs, and will therefore be put under a tensional stress whereby the same will strongly grip the latter, which gripping effect increases proportionally to the degree of outward pulling stress which may be exerted upon the button in use. Owing to the substantially triangular cross-sectional shape of tapered clutch prongs, a three point engagement thereof by the opposed clutch or gripping lips I8 is attained; one clutch or gripping lip engaging the apex or rib 25, and the other or opposing clutch or gripping lip engaging, by spaced portions thereof, the respective free margins of the angular sides 23 and 24 of said clutch-prongs. This relation assures an extremely powerful bite of the clutch or gripping lips I8 upon the clutch prongs, whereby the button body is held engaged thereto against turning, shifting, wiggling or other undesired loose movement or play. In order to further assure a rigid and non-slipping attachment of the button body to the clutch prongs of the anchor plate, the chamfered teeth or stop-projections 26-21 respectively provided along the apex or rib and free margins of the sides of the clutch prongs, will, upon any tendency of the prongs to pull out and away from the button body, abut the free margins lof the clutch or gripping lips, and will effectively arrest any such movement. It will be obvious, that the attachment means, thus operative, readily adjust themselves to any particular thickness of material 28, since the clutch prongs will be strongly gripped regardless of the longitudinal wardly inclined teeth or stop projections 32.

extent of their projection into the button body interior, the clutch or gripping lips readily yielding to the entrance thereof to any degree.

While the above-described constructions constitute a preferred form of button body and serrated pronged anchor piece cooperative therewith, I have shown in Figs. 7 and 8 a somewhat modied and simpler arrangement of the button construction which satises the general objects and which is within the principles of the broader aspects of this invention. In this modified arrangement a plurality of spaced openings I6 are formed in the bottom wall I5 of button base portion I2, the ends of said openings I6 being bordered by inwardly pressed convergently inclined and opposed clutch or gripping lips I8. The anchor piece for use with this arrangement of the clutch or gripping lips is shown in Fig. 8, and may comprise a body disc or plate 29 from the margins of which spring a plurality of upstanding :at clutch prongs 30, the lateral edges of which taper toward the free ends of the prongs so as to terminate in sharp piercing points 3|. Formed along the said lateral edges of these prongs are a series of longitudinally spaced downwardly and out- In the use of this modied button structure, the clutch prongs 3U are pierced through the material to which the button is to be fastened, and thereupon entered through the openings I6' with their opposite serrated lateral edges opposed to the convergent clutch or gripping lips I8, which yield to the inward projection of the clutch prongs, and which rmly grip the edges of the latter, the serrations 32 resisting any outward retraction of the thus entered prongs. It will thus be obvious that a strongly anchored attachment of the button body to the material upon which the same is mounted will be assured.

Having now described my invention, I claim:-

1. In a button device of the kind described, a hollow button body having in its bottom wall at least three openings spaced apart on a line concentric to the vertical axis of said body, said openings being bordered by inwardly pressed convergently inclined and opposed clutch lips, an anchor plate, said anchor plate having tapered clutch prongs projecting therefrom and corresponding in number to the number of said openings, said prongs terminating at their free ends in sharp piercing points, and said prongs having stop-teeth laterally projecting therefrom for engagement by the opposed clutch lips.

2. In a button device of the kind described, a

hollow button body having in its bottom wall a plurality of spaced arcuate openings concentric to the vertical axis of such body, said openings being bordered by inwardly pressed convergently inclined and opposed clutch lips, an anchor plate, said anchor plate having tapered clutch prongs projecting therefrom and terminating at their free ends in sharp piercing points, and a series of longitudinally spaced stop-teeth along opposite lateral portions of said prongs adapted to be engaged by the free ends of the opposed clutch lips to prevent retraction of said prongs from said button body.

3. In a button device of the kind described, a hollow button body having in its bottom wall a plurality of openings bordered by inwardly pressed convergently inclined and opposed clutch lips, an anchor plate, said anchor-plate having tapered clutch prongs projecting therefrom and terminating at their free ends in sharp piercing points, said clutch prongs being of hollow ribbed shape in cross-section as formed by angular sides converging on an outwardly presented longitudinal central rib, and a plurality of stop-teethv spaced along said central rib and along the free margins of said angular sides of the clutch prongs.

4. In a button device of the kind described, a hollow button body having in its bottom wall a plurality of openings bordered by inwardly pressed convergently inclined and opposed clutch lips, an anchor plate comprising an annular bodir having rearwardly projected inner and outer marginal iianges to stifen the same and to grip the face of material against which said anchor plate is applied, said anchor plate having tapered clutch prongs projecting from the outer marginal iianges'thereof and terminating in sharp piercing points, said clutch prongs being of hollow ribbed shape in cross section as formed by angular sides converging on an outwardly presented longitudinal central rib, and a plurality of stop-teeth spaced along said central rib and along the free margins of said angular sides of the clutch prongs.

5. In a button device of the kind described, a hollow button body having in its bottom wall a plurality of arcuate slot-like openings arranged in an annular row concentric to the longitudinal vertical axis of said buttonbody, convergently inclined and opposed clutch lips inwardly struck from said bottom wall along the margins of said slot-like openings, an anchor plate, said anchor plate having tapered clutch prongs projecting therefrom and terminating at their free ends in sharp piercing points, said clutch prongs being of hollow ribbed shape in cross-section as formed by angular sides converging on an outwardly presented longitudinal central rib, and a plurality of stop-teeth spaced along said central rib and along the free margins of said angular sides of the clutch prongs.

6. In a button device of the kind described, a hollow button body having in its bottom wall a plurality of arcuate slot-like openings arranged in an annular row concentric to the longitudinal vertical axis of said button body, convergently inclined and opposed clutch lips inwardly struck from said bottom wall along the margins of said slot-like openings, an anchor plate comprising an -annular body having rearwardly projected inner and outer marginal flanges to stiffen the same and to grip the face of material against which said anchor plate is applied, and said anchor plate having tapered clutch prongs projecting from the outer marginal flanges thereof and terminating in sharp piercing points, said clutch prongs being of hollow ribbed shape in cross section as formed by angular sides converging on an outwardly presented longitudinal central rib.

7. In a button device of the kind described, a hollow button body having in its bottom wall a plurality of arcuate slot-like openings arranged in an annular row concentric to longitudinal vertical aXis of said button body, convergently inclined and opposed clutch lips inwardly struck from said bottom wall along the margins of said slot-like openings, an anchor plate comprising an annular body having rearwardly projected inner and outer marginal flanges to stifen the same and to grip the face of material against which said anchor plate is applied, said anchor plate having tapered clutch prongs projecting from the outer marginal flanges thereof and terminating in sharp piercing points, said clutch prongs being of hollow ribbed shape in cross section as formed by angular sides converging on an outwardly presented longitudinal central rib, and a plurality of stop-teeth spaced along said central rib and along the free margins of said angular f sides of the clutch prongs.

8. In a button device of the kind described, a hollow button body having in its bottom wall a plurality of openings bordered by inwardly pressed convergently inclined and opposed clutch lips, an anchor plate, said anchor plate having tapered clutch prongs of substantially triangular cross-sectional shape, and said clutch prongs having a plurality of stop-teeth spaced longitudinally therealong.

ELIAS JAFFE. l 

